Unit 7 Cognition

Experts in a given field prefer heuristics to algorithms because heuristics:

• Guarantee solutions to problems
• Prevent mental sets
• Often save time
• Prevent fixation

Confirmation bias refers to the tendency to:

• Allow preexisting beliefs to distort logical reasoning
• Cling to one’s initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited
• Search randomly through alternative solutions when problem solving
• Look for information that is consistent with one’s beliefs

A strategy in which the likelihood of an event is estimated on the basis of how easily other instances of the event are available in memory is called the:

• Availability heuristic
• Availability algorithm
• Representativeness heuristic
• Representativeness algorithm

The term used to describe the mental activities involved in acquiring, retaining, and using knowledge is:

• Cognition
• Learning
• Perception
• Sensation

A dessert recipe that gives you the ingredients, their amounts and the steps to follow is an example of a(n):

• Prototype
• Algorithm
• Heuristic
• Mental set

Stockbrokers often believe that their own expertise will enable them to select stocks that will outperform the market average. This belief best illustrates:

• The representativeness heuristic
• The framing effect
• Overconfidence
• Belief perseverance

A prototype is a:

• Step-by-step procedure for solving problems
• Mental grouping of similar objects, events or people
• Best example of a particular category
• Simple thinking strategy for solving problems efficiently

With regards to ground beef, consumers respond more positively to an ad describing it as “75 percent lean” than to one referring to its “25 percent fat” content. This is an example of:

• The framing effect
• Confirmation bias
• Mental set
• Overconfidence

Which one of the following illustrates belief perseverance?

• Your belief remains intact even in the face of evidence to the contrary
• You refuse to listen to arguments counter to your beliefs
• You tend to become flustered and angered when your beliefs are refuted
• You tend to search for information that supports your beliefs

Whorf’s linguistic determination hypothesis states that:

• Language is primarily a learned ability
• Language is partially an innate ability
• The size of a person’s vocabulary reflects his or her intelligence
• Our language shapes our thinking